Let Him Go
by Shi-Toyu
Summary: Hela receives a surprising visitor and has an enlightening conversation about her father's relationship with a mortal man. FROSTIRON Can be read alone or in conjunction with my Emotions series.


A/N: Here's something I've been thinking about for a while. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers or Thor or Ironman or any of the cool stuff.

Let Him Go

Hela, Queen of the Underworld, arched one delicate eyebrow as she felt a new presence enter her realm. It was not the presence of a new soul, one damned to her fickle mercy for all eternity, but that of one who chose to visit. She pushed herself to her feet, leaving her throne of skull to stride down towards the dark-haired man.

"Father?"

His lips quirked upwards into a grin as his gaze alighted upon her. The God of Mischief and Fire gave her a mocking bow that would have lost anyone else their soul. But Hela knew her father and knew that he did not know how to behave any other way.

"My dear, it is good to see you again."

"What has brought you here? What trouble befalls you?"

Loki's expression morphed into one of faked hurt, placing one hand against his chest and sniffling pitifully.

"What a terrible father I must be that my only daughter thinks I would not visit her but that something is wrong."

She did not bother to hide her lack of amusement at his words.

"Neither you nor I are the type for idle visits. If you are here, there is a reason for it."

His only response was to let the silence stretch between them. With a sigh of irritation, the Mistress of the Damned turned back to her throne, conjuring a plush chair beside it with a flick of her pale wrist. Her powers of conjuring and creation could only be conducted through the half of her made of living flesh. Her side that appeared like a decaying corpse wielded much darker magiks.

"Come, father, won't you join me? Let us talk, if you truly are here for such menial things."

She knew he would take her up on the offer before she heard his steps behind her, climbing the dais upon which her throne sat. Let it never be said that Loki Liesmith allowed one of his bluffs to be called. Hela settled into her seat and placed her chin in the palm of her hand, eyeing her father thoughtfully.

"I don't think we have had the chance to chat since that unfortunate incident with the dark elves. How have things been going for you?"

"Things have settled down since then, you could say. I am no longer a fugitive of Asgard. It helps when moving from realm to realm not to have to constantly watch my back."

"As if Asgard were the only reason you needed to. I hear that you have been spending most of your time on Midgard these days. I have to say, I would not have anticipated that choice from you."

His face hardened just a touch and she knew she was on the right path.

"There were certain factors that came into play."

When she smirked, it was clear she had inherited the expression from the man before her. Dark hair fell forward to frame her face as she leaned closer.

"Factors such as the mortal?"

Her smirk turned into a full-blown grin when her father stiffened.

"How do you know about that?"

"Please, father, there is little of consequence that I do not hear of. After all, everything kills _someone_." She huffed in a very put-upon manner just to annoy him, leaning back to lounge across her throne. "But, if you must know, I received the soul of a professional assassin just a few days ago. He told me a terribly interesting tale of being hired to kill one Tony Stark, only to wind up dead at the hands of his blue body guard…_whom he was in bed with_. It only took a brief glimpse of his memories to put the pieces together."

Her father didn't look embarrassed in the slightest, not that she had expected him to be, only irritated. His teeth ground together harshly as his nose wrinkled. It was not an attractive look, but it was one she had seen on her father's face many times.

"Well, there is no need to trouble yourself over it. Any connection I may have had with Stark is over now."

This time, both eyebrows shot upward.

"Forgive me. His soul has not passed into my hands, so I'm afraid you'll have to clarify. Even those bound for Valhalla first pass through my gates."

His disgruntled look did not improve.

"He is not _dead_, not yet. I simply left. I grew bored of him. He is only a mortal, after all, no one of significance."

Understanding suddenly dawned on Hela. So that was what all of this was about and why Loki had slunk away to spend time with her in Helheim.

"No one of significance? I find that hard to believe."

"And what, pray tell, do you find so hard to believe about it? Do you honestly think I would take such a pitiful thing seriously? He was simply a way to pass the time."

The vehemence in his voice was convincing, but Hela knew him too well to buy into his act. It was clear to her that his anger was pointed inward rather than outward.

"Perhaps you were not paying attention during the earlier portions of our conversation. That assassin was killed by Tony Stark's _blue_ bed companion. You lay with him in your Jotun form, father."

He sniffed dismissively, but did not bother denying the unspoken accusation. They both knew she would see right through it. Instead, her gaze and tone softened.

"I would say anyone you trusted that much was someone of significance. Even I have only seen your Jotun form a handful of times and none of those were by your choosing. If this were just some kink on the part of the mortal, you would never give in to it. There is obviously a great connection between you."

Pain lanced across his face as he leaned forward to place his elbows upon his knees. His shoulders slumped and he heaved a sigh. At last, it seemed, his walls began to come down.

"Anthony has…an unusual perspective on things. But there is no connection between us, not anymore."

Hela recognized the guilt that ran in every line of his body. Her father had always been rash, despite also being calculating. True to his title of Chaos Bringer, even the basic facets of his personality were conflicting.

"Tell me what you have done. Surely, there is a way to reverse it."

Suddenly anger flared in his eyes and he shot to his feet, towering over her in a way he had not done for centuries. It startled her, sending a trill of fear through her veins.

"_I do not want to reverse it!_ I left him for a _reason_. He is but a mortal and I shall not find myself in that entrapment, however compromised my judgment may have been recently."

Despite fear, Hela felt anger rise up to match her father's. How dare he come to her in her own realm and shout in her face? She was only telling him what he came wanting to hear.

"Oh, I believe you are entrapped quite thoroughly already. Look at you." She knew her words came out sounding bitter, but her father always had been the best at pushing buttons. He hadn't gotten his reputation for nothing. "You deprive yourself of your first happiness in _centuries_ because you fear its loss. You know as well as I that there are ways to extend the mortal's life."

"That is if, dear _daughter_," the word was sneered, but they had always done their best communicating when furiously enraged with each other, "he would even agree to it! What incentive is there for him to spend forever with me? The pleasure of watching everyone he loves grow old and die without him?"

She snorted dismissively.

"As if that were something difficult to arrange. It is easily within your powers to arrange some incident or attack on Asgard that would require the help of your lover and his precious team. With Thor on the throne, how hard would it be to convince him that Idun's apples would be an appropriate reward? You don't even have to be associated with the decision."

All the fight flew from Loki's frame as he collapsed back into his chair. He looked defeated, crumpled up and tossed aside like a used piece of parchment. His fair skin suddenly looked too pale, dark bruises of exhaustion shadowing his eyes. Hela was startled to realize he'd been hiding behind a glamor their entire conversation. It was unlike her father to hide himself from her. His voice, when he spoke, sounded as tired as he looked.

"Even then, what guarantee would there be that Anthony would want to spend eternity with me?"

She reached out her living hand to take his, lacing their fingers together and passing him some of her strength.

"Humans are fickle beings and their attention spans can be quite short. Even if he were to agree, I doubt he would be able to keep up with superior beings such as ourselves. Mortals have always been beneath us for a reason."

The flare of anger came back, though Loki didn't seem to have the energy left for another towering rage. He glared venomously at his daughter.

"Anthony is no inferior being. He is a god in all but lifespan."

Hela's smirk returned, having gotten precisely the reaction he was looking for.

"What are you waiting for, then?"

Realizing the trap she had set, Loki groaned and let his head fall back to thunk against the top of his chair.

"You are my daughter, indeed. Pity you did not take more after your mother."

"So I can just fall into bed with any old ruffian who wanders past? I think not." Loki chuckled weakly, seeing the not so subtle dig for what it was. Hela's tone softened once more as she stroked the back of her father's hand with her thumb. "You know, father, for a god you really are quite the fool. You knew what you wanted all along."

He smiled ruefully.

"Well, at least there is always Thor to make me look better."

Hela smiled and stood, pulling her father to his feet beside her. She leant forward to place a kiss upon his cheek.

"Go get your mortal, father. You have wasted enough of my time today."

He pressed their foreheads together before they parted.

"Thank you, my dear. I promise I will not wait so long before I visit next."

"Be sure to bring the mortal with you. I am interested to meet this God of Midgard."

Loki's laughter rang in the air even as he disappeared. The Queen of Helheim settled back on her throne, a small smile playing across her lips.

A/N: Please let me know what you thought! I am interested to hear your opinions!


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